OK Mike, I understand, however have you ever tried to stop a car with just the rear brakes? Depending on the road surface conditions, the car can just slide or can throw the car into a slide. With current technology of dual master cylinders and crossed brake lines, a total brake failure is rare indeed. Even with a failed master cylinder, you generally will have some brakes. The OP said the car lurched forward when he used the “e brake”. Don’t know why he would ever do that and certainly not a good practice while learning to drive a manual.
I think what Bang is doing is setting the parking brake on a hill so they can have one foot on the clutch pedal and one foot on the accelerator so they can release the parking brake by hand when it time to move and not roll either direction before they have the car under control.
There’s a lot of steep hills here in San Francisco area, especially Fillmore street in San Francisco proper, which I have need to drive on fairly often. I think that’s the street you see in those old 1960’s Clint Eastwood car chase movies. It is really quite steep. One winter several years ago some company as a promotion hauled a bunch of snow from the Sierra mountains and put it on that street and they had a snow-board race down Fillmore.
Anyway, it is near impossible when coming to a stop going uphill on streets like that to restart again (when the light turns green) without using the hand brake to hold the car still while you monkey with the clutch and gas pedal with your two feet to get the car moving forward again. Without that technique most every manual transmission car in San Francisco would either be sidelined due to a burned out clutch or have rolled backward, fell into the bay, and sunk.
OK, I retract my comment if that’s the case. Every time I hear of someone trying to start a manual on a hill I think back to my youth. 1960 Morris with first gear stripped, four people in the car, and trying to start up again on the hill in second gear. Made it though.
The car is a 2006 so maybe the clutch was a bit iffy before the purchase. Warped disc, wear, glaze or burning of the disc, flywheel, and pressure plate, etc. can cause some difficult during engagement.
I’m not saying it isn’t dangerous…and something I would NEVER do…UNLESS it was my only recourse. I’ve never experienced a complete brake failure. Not something I would ever care to experience.
he OP said the car lurched forward when he used the "e brake". Don't know why he would ever do that and certainly not a good practice while learning to drive a manual.
I agree…The ONLY time I’d ever consider using the E-Brake is when I complete brake loss.
I think what bang is trying to do is setting the parking brake on a hill so they can have one foot on the clutch pedal and the other on the accelerator and release the parking brake by hand when it is time to move.
@Bang
My brother in law does rev matching however he said in California it’s illegal because it’s race baiting
I’ve heard of illegal speed contest, not race baiting. In fact, performing perfect rev matching was a requirement for getting my California CDL. I don’t believe the law requires any one to be responsible for other motorist’s behavior
Hey guys I’m still going at it however my first gear is still pretty rough and I’m wasting some gas while starting and every now and then when switching gears. Nothing is wrong with the car had it checked out before I bought it. I’m still knew at it. Any more tips on how to work with not wasting gas on unnecessary reving?
When starting in first gear, I generally keep my foot OFF of the gas until I am at the friction point. Adding gas after getting to the friction point allows you to ease out the clutch immediately as the engine begins to rev and keep it low before it gets out of hand. You need to go out experimenting with your clutch release technique that keeps your rev low. Work on getting it right and speed will come naturally.
While riding the clutch is bad, you want to keep your foot on it lightly until the car catches up to the engine. It will catch up even if you have your foot on the clutch and the wear would be minimal when done correctly. This is why you want to keep your rev low. You don’t want the car to spend a lot of time catching up to high engine speed as you slip the clutch.
If you let the clutch out ASAP without stalling, you put a shock in other drive line parts and/or lug the engine, which is more expensive than a clutch. Remember, the clutch is a wear item, so learn the proper technique and use it normally, not sparingly nor abusively. I learned in my first manual car and didn’t expect my clutch to last 100k miles, but I sold it at 150k with the factory’s clutch.
Regarding reving when shifting, I assume whoever showed you how to drive taught you to release the gas before clutching in. If you want to be particular about it, you ease out the gas until you feel no push behind your back, then you push the clutch in while continuing with your gas release.
Keep experimenting with the car and learn to be smooth with your hands and feet. It takes months to get it down to where you don’t sound like a novice. And it’ll feel like day one all over again when the winter boots go into the closet and sandals are under your feet.
My relatively new car has a hill brake set so that once you stop, pushing the brake harder sets it so the car can’t roll backwards. THIS IS ON A CAR THAT’S AN AUTOMATIC. Good grief, what is the world comming to ? We have been telling people so much that it’s a crime to drive an auto with both feet, they are now not allowed to use the left for the brake and the right for an accelerator on an automatic to start on a hill. Gee, no wonder people can’t drive manuals. We keep telling them their left foot is useless.
My other big gripe is about using proper footwear for driving !
@Bang3410 … For the transition from a complete stop to first gear, have you tried what Ray suggests? He says beginners should find an empty and level parking lot to practice. Press in the clutch pedal and put the transmission in first gear. Now see if you can let the clutch pedal out slowly enough until the car is moving smoothly in first gear, without pressing on the gas pedal at all?
Starting in first gear on level ground with out using the accelerator ? Ya, Ray stole that idea from me when he was over for dinner two years ago. Seriously, at some point you have to “feel” the clutch engage and disengage with no thinking and this is one of the very best ways to learn that point without grinding the clutch into dust. The idea is to apply the throttle an instant AFTER the engagement point is reached amd not before. Stalling is sometimes a natural occurrence for some one who drives a manual transmission correctly.
I learned to drive a manual transmission at 13 years old. My Father gave me his 1954 Chevrolet in 1965. It was parked in a drainage ditch which added a degree of difficulty to get up on the gravel road. I now drive a 2010 KIA Forte SX 6 speed. It was difficult to find a manual. This vehicle has the worst clutch I have ever experienced! With over 40 years of driving manuals I stalled it more than 50 times in the first 2 Months! I researched and found that KIA Forte manuals are equipped with something called a clutch delay valve which helps drivers who do not know how to drive a clutch drive one. WTF! Drivers who do not know how to drive a clutch need to learn how to drive one if they purchase one! It could be the $1,000 for the automatic. That was not my problem. I just hate automatics. After 2 Months I kind of learned how to drive this weird clutch. over 3 years later I still have the occasional problem.
Whether you call it learning the clutch’s “friction point” or “engagement point” or “release point” (I call it the “sweet spot”), that is the key. Your left leg will eventually learn to come to that spot quickly, then ease through to full engagement in two car lengths or less as you dial up throttle. Besides curve balls like sarge’s weird clutch, I’ve noticed some of the new throttle-by-wire systems are less than clutch-friendly.
I drove manual until 1973, when I got my first automatic transmission car, due to a ‘life style change’. (D*****e) Driving in town stopped being a major chore, my feet are large and clumsy. In the last 40 years, I have driven a manual exactly twice, and don’t miss it.
I drive with both feet. The anal types really flip out at that. I mentioned once on this board that I had been driving with both feet since 1973, and some joker informed me I had been driving badly since 1973. It would have been very funny, but he was not joking. He should have my driving record.
Yet, some time ago, we had a cable company driver from NYC who told us his company had all their drivers go to driving class with a consultant who told them they MUST drive with both feet for shorter reaction times on city streets. With so few manual transmissions people have difficulty finding one, it is time to move into the automatic transmission world and teach people to drive safely, which means with both feet. The only exceptions must be those who move back and forth between manual and automatics.
When people get old, and might tend to ride the brakes, which really freaks out some people (see comment about anal types) instead of taking their license away, they will already be driving with both feet, and we can openly teach them not to ride the brake.
An added note. We have long had the technology to put night electronic screens on cars, which will help almost everyone over 50 drive without being blinded by oncoming cars. It is a minor technical application.
I love it when we relive old off-topic arguments. 
@irlandes, there is nothing unsafe about driving an automatic with one foot. It’s just as easy to take your right foot off the gas and use it to cover the brake as it is to place your left foot over the brake, and doing it my way has the added advantage of forcing you to take your right foot off the throttle and coast when you do it.
Stop insisting your way is the best way just because you like it better. Unless you can substantiate your claim with proof, you’re being childish. Just because it works well for you doesn’t mean it is the better alternative for everyone.
@irlandes
Welcome to the world of two foot auto drivers. I was encouraged to in the military driving an ambulance and later training while driving a police cruiser. I find it a huge advantage backing up trailers in tight spaces. Actually applying the accelerator with the brake on somewhat and working one against the other gives me control in backing a boat for example into my garage with just inches to spare on either side.
I personally can understand the reasoning one foot drivers give and if it works for them, fine. IMO, it’s one of those, to each his own.
@Whitey… Your OK, I’m OK;=)
I’m curious, can’t you back up your boat an inch at a time without touching the gas while the engine is idling?
When I’m pulling a vehicle with an automatic transmission up on ramps to do an oil change, I sometimes use my left foot on the brake with my right on the throttle, but that’s not really the same thing as driving on the road like that.
40+ years of driving with only using one foot for brake and gas…and over 1 million miles…and NEVER had an accident because I wasn’t using 2 feet…Yup…it’s OBVIOUSLY dangerous driving with one foot.